


Hey There, Delilah

by 1ndisposxd



Series: A Collection Of Grumbo [2]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Angst, Comfort, DON'T SHIP REAL PEOPLE, Grian deals with feelings, He's not very good at it though, Heartbreak, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Mumbo is lost, Probably ooc, Sad, Songfic, minecraft personas ONLY, season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23372107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1ndisposxd/pseuds/1ndisposxd
Summary: Grian's visit to Mumbo doesn't go to plan.This is a songfic (my very first one at that!) based "Putting a Spin on Hey There Delilah"
Relationships: Mumbo Jumbo/Grian, Oliver Brotherhood/Charles | Grian
Series: A Collection Of Grumbo [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680997
Comments: 30
Kudos: 207





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone!!
> 
> For anyone who hasn't heard of or listened to the song featured in this fic, here it is:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvCDKD3KSwo
> 
> I really recommend listening to it so you can maybe better understand the emotions I was going for. Only if you want to, though. You don't need to <3

_Hey there Delilah  
What's it like in New York City?  
I'm a thousand miles away  
But girl, tonight you look so pretty_

The sun was shining rather bright this day and Grian, along with many other Hermits on the server, had decided to lay back and relax. He was aimlessly walking around his base, trying to find something to do to keep his mind occupied. He hummed a little tune as he walked. Perhaps he could build something?

No, he didn’t really feel like building. As much as he loved the activity he couldn’t think of anything to make. Go looking for a wolf or a cat to tame? No… They’d probably end up lost or hurt with how many pranks and other things he pulls. Plus he wouldn’t be able to give them much attention since he was always in the middle of something. This seemed to be the only time where he couldn’t find anything to do.

He wanted to do something. Not just anything, no. Something specific. Something to do with... Redstone? Did he feel like fiddling around with the confusing stuff? No, that didn’t seem quite right. He thought about it for a moment before he finally got it. Of course. Mumbo.

_Yes, you do  
Times Square can't shine as bright as you  
I swear it's true  
Hey there Delilah_

He had flown to the top of his base and was currently standing on the roof of it, looking at the spherical base in the distance. He sighed, walking to the edge of the roof and sitting down, letting his legs dangle freely.

Mumbo had really outdone himself with his base, Grian thought with a certain admiration. It was beautiful. Just like everything else about Mumbo, he added to his train of thought. Deciding to ignore the sudden afterthought, he continued to stare at the other base, desperately wanting to fly over there and hang out with Mumbo. It was simple enough to do. All he had to do was set off some rockets and glide over with his elytra. It wasn’t that far. And yet it was at the same time. Or at least, the man inhabiting the home was. 

Shaking his head of any more stray thoughts, he stood up and took off. 

_Don't you worry about the distance  
I'm right there if you get lonely  
Give this song another listen  
Close your eyes_

Upon landing, Grian had spotted the taller Hermit within seconds. Mumbo had let out a startled yelp as he turned around, having heard the unexpected footsteps behind him. The professionally dressed man visibly relaxed once he laid eyes on his visitor.

“Ah, Grian! What a surprise!” He said enthusiastically, wiping his forehead of sweat and getting Redstone dust on his face.

Grian let out a snort. “Hello, Mumbo. You, uh. You gotta little something,” he trailed off, gesturing towards his own forehead.

“I got dust on me, didn’t I?” Mumbo asked with an amused sigh.

“Yeah,” Grian smiled. Mumbo just laughed and shook his head.

_Listen to my voice, it's my disguise  
I'm by your side  
Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me_

“So, what are you up to?” Grian tried not to sound too interested.

“Oh, me? Just fixing up my storage system. It keeps clogging for some reason and I think one of the hoppers isn’t functioning properly. I was also thinking of making a couple of changes so it’s more efficient,” the engineer explained, turning back around to get to work.

“Do you need any help?” Grian offered, sitting on a stray chest.

“Ah, yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you,” Mumbo responded, not looking back at him.

Grian frowned just a bit, hoping he would turn around. There wasn’t a reason why he hoped it, he just really enjoyed looking into those dark eyes. He blinked and put on a small smile, standing up and handing Mumbo the Redstone materials he had asked for.

This went on for a while before Mumbo had enough items to work without Grian needing to hand him things. For now, anyway.

_Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me  
What you do to me_

Grian was sitting on the same chest as earlier, watching the Hermit work in silence. Even without saying any words or looking at him, Mumbo did so many things to him. Just by looking at him for a brief second, his heart swelled, his mind went blank, and his stomach fluttered.

What he wouldn’t give to be able to wake up to the smell of Redstone dust and vanilla in the mornings. What he wouldn’t give to be able to kiss those slightly chapped lips just once. He can almost feel the faint tickle of Mumbo’s mustache on his cheek as they kissed.

_Hey there Delilah  
I know times are getting hard  
But just believe me, girl  
Someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar  
We'll have it good_

His smile had turned into a slightly sad one. While he was content with just being friends with Mumbo, he knew he’d never be complete. All he wanted was him. All he ever thought about was him. And watching the other work so close by made him realize just how far away he really was. At least, how far his heart was. 

Mumbo would never see him in the same light he saw him. His heart twisted in heartbreak he hadn’t even received yet. He knew he was making assumptions, but to him, the assumptions seemed like truth. Mumbo had never looked at him as anything more than a friend. He could see it in his eyes. They held love, yes, but it wasn’t the type of love he had hoped for. 

Thinking about it only made the pain he was feeling worse. Now his stomach had begun to twist into a knot. He felt like crying as he dug himself deeper into his thoughts. And he almost did let a tear fall down his cheek before he was pulled from his thoughts by the gentle touch of a hand on his cheek.

_My word is good  
Hey there Delilah  
I've got so much left to say_

Grian blinked a few times before he looked up, his vision focusing on those brown eyes he so easily got lost in. His breath caught in his throat as he subconsciously leaned into the touch. Whether Mumbo didn’t notice or didn’t care, he didn’t know. But he did know that this was the most contact he had gotten from the other in a while.

He couldn’t focus on the physical touch too long, however, as his attention was turned to Mumbo’s concerned face. The Redstone dust was still on his forehead, which almost made him smile.  
“Hey, are you okay?” Mumbo finally spoke, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Grian took a moment to respond. “Yeah. Why?” he asked in an innocent tone.

“You… Look sad. Like you were about to cry,” Mumbo said in a gentle tone. “Do you need to talk? I’m sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring you, I wasn’t-”

“No, no. It’s fine. I’m fine, don’t worry,” Grian forced a smile. He didn’t want to worry his friend too much. He looked stressed enough with his storage system.

Still, despite his attempts at hiding his emotions, he couldn’t stop the faintest glint of hurt from appearing in his eyes. He couldn’t lie, even if it was selfish to admit, that he was hurt by the fact their relationship was labeled as just “friends.” His smile turned into a sad one.

_If every simple song I wrote to you  
Would take your breath away  
I'd write it all  
Even more in love with me, you'd fall  
We'd have it all_

“Are you sure you’re alright, Gri?” Mumbo asked.

The blonde perked up only a tiny bit. His heart fluttered at hearing the nickname he hadn’t heard in so long. Mumbo only used it when they were alone. And they hadn’t been alone together in forever. One was always too busy or they were together with other people.

“Yes, Mumbo. I’m,” Grian hesitated. “I’m alright.” He didn’t mean to hesitate, and he hoped Mumbo didn’t notice the short pause in his wording. His breath caught in his throat again as the other’s concerned look only got worse.

_Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me_

This was the thing that frustrated him. He didn’t want to worry the other, but it was so hard to lie to him and hide things. Especially when the look in his eyes was so pleading, begging him to say what’s wrong. Grian bit his tongue gently. Mumbo really did do so many things to him, huh? For better or for worse.

“Gri?” Mumbo asked, kneeling down so he was level with Grian, who was still sitting on the chest. The hand hadn’t left his cheek. In fact, Mumbo had begun to gently rub his thumb back and forth in a comforting way. 

The shorter man looked away, letting out a breath. “I can never hide anything from you, can I?” He laughed quietly. There was no response. 

“You… You know I’d never do anything to hurt you or this relationship, right?” Grian asked hesitantly.

Confusion appeared on Mumbo’s mixed expression. “What do you mean? Do you think I’m mad at you because we haven’t seen each other in a while? Beca-”

“No,” Grian interrupted a bit too firmly. “No, I don’t think you’re mad at me,” he said a bit calmer this time. “I just. I’ve got things on my mind.”

_A thousand miles seems pretty far  
But they've got planes and trains and cars  
I'd walk to you if I had no other way_

“...Like what things?” Mumbo seemed hesitant to ask. It was almost as if he had a guess of what the builder was about to answer.

“I. I have feelings for someone. And I’m not sure if they like me back and I don’t know if you’ll be happy about it,” was the response given. Grian watched as Mumbo’s expression became a mix of concern, confusion, unsureness, and curiousness.

“Who do you have feelings for? You don’t have to tell me, but I promise I won’t be mad,” Mumbo reassured, a soft smile appearing on his lips. The lips Grian could never stop thinking about, even now.

Grian sucked in a breath, staring at those lips for a short moment before looking back up. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hide the full truth, especially since Mumbo had him cornered, even if the Hermit was unaware of it. 

_Our friends would all make fun of us  
And we'll just laugh along because we know  
That none of them have felt this way_

“You swear you won’t get upset or yell at me or send me away and never talk to me again because I couldn’t handle that.” And please let me down slowly, Grian added silently, feeling as if he was about to cry. Again.

“I swear. And if I do any of those things you have full permission to slap me as hard as you want,” Mumbo stated, saying the last bit half-jokingly, half-serious.

Neither man said anything for the next minute or so. Until finally, Grian placed his hand on Mumbo’s, still cupping his cheek, holding it and closing his eyes before opening his mouth and whispering,” You.”

_Delilah, I can promise you  
That by the time we get through  
The world will never ever be the same  
And you're to blame_

He had said it quietly, but he knew Mumbo had heard him. He knew because the hand on his cheek had been retracted and the expression on the other’s face was unreadable. Grian’s eyes opened and they both stared at each other, both being too scared to say another word. 

Or maybe it was only Grian that was scared. Scared of being hurt and being left behind, despite Mumbo’s promise. The longer they stared at each other without saying anything the more Grian’s eye’s filled with tears.

_Hey there Delilah  
You be good and don't you miss me  
Two more years and you'll be done with school  
And I'll be making history like I do_

Without thinking, Grian was standing up and running away. His brain didn’t register the callings of his name or the footsteps behind him. All he was thinking about was running away and hiding in the darkest, most secret corner he could find so that he could never be found again. When he reached the edge of Mumbo’s base, he jumped off and took flight. 

He had already pulled out his rockets by the time his elytra had opened. He set some off, trying to go as fast as possible. He didn’t even stop at his base. Instead, he flew further and further until the sun had sunk below the horizon.

He landed on a small island in the middle of nowhere, landing on the shore. Turning around he sat on the ground, pulling out a torch and setting it down. The island wasn’t big enough for mobs to spawn, much to his disappointment, no matter how small. He silently wished a Skeleton to shoot him. He’d even settle with being blown up by a creeper.

_You'll know it's all because of you  
We can do whatever we want to  
Hey there Delilah here's to you  
This one's for you_

He sat there, staring off in the direction he had come. Grian didn’t know how long he had been sitting there, but he knew it was long enough to confirm Mumbo hadn’t followed him. Even still, he couldn’t help but stare off into the distance, across the large ocean in front of him, and hopelessly wish to whatever great power that he’d see the man he had fallen so hard for flying towards him.

Eventually, the sun had begun to rise and he let out a choked sob. Grian didn’t even know he had been crying. Along with that, he had no clue why he was crying. Mumbo hadn’t even said anything. Maybe that’s why.

There was no response, just an unreadable expression along with eyes that held too any emotions to sort through staring at him. 

Grian laid back on the sand, staring up at the sky that was slowly turning bluer by the second. He had been an idiot. He shouldn’t have run away like that. But… What else could he have done? Sat there to hear the rejection? 

_Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me  
Oh, it's what you do to me_

No, no, no what was he thinking! He didn’t even know he was going to get rejected! But if he was going to be accepted and his feelings were returned, why didn’t Mumbo look happy? His mind swarmed with thoughts and he stood up in frustration. He was tired, but his mind was restless and he couldn’t handle that. So, he hoisted himself up into the air and took off again in the opposite direction of which he came.

Tears in his eyes, constantly being whipped away by the harsh wind, he flew on and on. He didn’t know where he was going but one thing was for sure: He was not going back to his base. He couldn’t. What if Mumbo had already went and told all the other Hermits? What if everyone laughed at him as soon as he got back? What if Xisuma kicked him for being gay? He had forgotten he wasn’t even out yet! Oh, what has he done!? He’s a complete idiot! Questions and doubts swarmed his mind, causing him to just go further and further. Further than any Hermit lived and further than any sign of the Hermits. He even flew further than that. In fact, he flew so far he reached the world border. 

This seemed far enough. He could even dig out a little bunker so he was comfortable. Yeah, that sounded nice. Then he didn’t have to worry about facing Mumbo or Xisuma or anyone else and he could be at peace. And he’d never have to deal with what Mumbo does to him again.

“Oh, Mumbo. If only you knew _what you do to me_ ,” Grian thought to himself with a broken smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumbo and Xisuma search for Grian.
> 
> CW/TW for sexual undertones and very brief mention of self harm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo!!! Sorry this took so long, but here it is! Chapter two, where our boys finally get to be happy! So sit back, grab a snack, and enjoy this 4.5k+ word chapter.

It had been nearly three weeks and there was no sign of Grian. Mumbo was beginning to panic. He had searched everywhere he thought Grian may be. He searched the shopping district, Grian's base, Grian's starter base, and everywhere else he could think to look, even if it was really unlikely he'd find the short Hermit there.

By the time a few days had passed, the other Hermits had noticed Grian's absence and Mumbo told them he had run off because of a dispute they had. They had asked him what the argument was about, but Mumbo didn't give a straight answer. He couldn't without outing Grian. Mumbo wasn't sure if it was because he had a feeling Grian hadn't told anyone he felt attraction towards men or if it was because he didn't want to accept the fact that he feels the same way. 

Still, despite not getting a straight answer, everyone began to look for Grian. Mumbo felt like there was a very small weight lifted off his shoulders. With more people looking, more ground was covered. And with more ground being covered came the fact that there was less ground for Grian to be hiding. It wasn't like he wanted to force Grian out of hiding. No, Mumbo just wanted to know that he was safe. If Grian was found and wanted to stay where he was then that was fine. And... And if Grian wanted to leave the server, Mumbo knew that was okay as well, even if his heart twisted painfully at the thought.

Shaking his head, he forced all thoughts away. Currently, he was flying towards the shopping district. He knew Grian wouldn't be there, but he wanted to find another Hermit to see if they had any news. He landed on the ground and walked around for a bit before seeing Xisuma. He was turned away from Mumbo, which meant he'd have to get his attention. Mumbo walked up to him and coughed, announcing his presence subtly. Xisuma turned his head at the noise, his entire body turning as well soon after he noticed the mustached man.

"Ah, hello, Mumbo," Xisuma greeted with a kind smile.

"Hey, Xisuma," Mumbo greeted back. He attempted to return the smile, but it was small and sad. It didn't do anything to hide the fact that Mumbo had dark bags under his eyes and his eyebrows were now almost always furrowed in worry.

The other Hermit gently placed a hand on Mumbo's shoulder. "We'll find him, Mumbo. Don't worry so much. Everyone is looking for him and we won't give up until he's found and back home safe."

"I know that, but what if..."

"Grian can't be that far, trust me. He can't leave the server without my permission. And he won't ask to leave, either. Whatever went on between you two, I'm sure you two can fix it. And if you need me or someone else to help you guys fix it we'll help," Xisuma reassured in a gentle tone. 

Mumbo smiled again, appreciative of the reassurance. However, "How can you know for certain? You don't even know what happened. I was a fool, X. I... I made him cry!"

"You're right, I don't know what happened. And I won't pretend to know what happened but don't think too much on it. We both know that Grian is forgiving. Don't beat yourself up so much."

Mumbo stared at him, grateful that neither him nor any other Hermit had tried to get the full story. They all just went off and searched for their friend, only concerned for his safety. The engineer sighed and looked down at the ground.

"He.. X, I... Can I-?.. If I tell you what happened do you promise not to tell anyone else?" Mumbo asked, hoping Xisuma would promise. He had to tell someone. He had to get at least some of his thoughts off his chest.

"I promise. You know you can trust me," Xisuma responded without hesitation, a tiny hint of curiosity in his voice. Mumbo couldn't help by smile in amusement. The man was put together and knew when to leave things be, but that didn't mean he never got curious.

"Okay." Mumbo let out a breath, his smile falling. "I... I uh. Grian... He uhm. You see, Grian told me that he uh- That he had feelings for me. And I, well... I sort of just. Stood there. And my silence probably scared Grian, which is most likely why he ran off the way he did. I tried calling after him and chasing him but I couldn't because he started flying and I didn't have any rockets and-"

Xisuma interrupted Mumbo by saying his name firmly, but his expression was soft. "You're working yourself up by ranting. Take a breath and then continue."

Mumbo nodded and took a moment before continuing, "I've been beating myself up for not saying anything. But, the truth is, I've never considered Grian like that before he confessed. And now that I know his feelings I think..." The tall Hermit gulped, taking a small pause to think about his words, "No, I know... That I feel the same way towards him."

Xisuma nodded, patiently listening. After a brief second of silence to make sure Mumbo was done speaking, he began to talk, "The good thing is that now you know how you truly feel towards him. If we're being honest, I always thought there was something going on between you two. I was just waiting to see when one of you noticed." The man laughed quietly, trying to lighten the mood. It was working, as Mumbo seemed to brighten up a bit.

"Thanks, X. I really needed to tell someone what was on my mind," Mumbo hummed in appreciation.

"Oh, it was no problem at all! I'm always here if you need someone to rant to," Xisuma gave a thumbs up. "Now, on a more serious note, you should get some rest. You look dead."

"No, I feel quite alright," Mumbo objected, standing up tall and trying to look awake. "Besides, I can't sleep. I... We need to find Grian first. I need to know that he's safe."

"You're difficult, you know that?" Xisuma sighed. "Fine. Have you any ideas of places we haven't looked? We've already searched every single inch of a ten thousand block radius."

Mumbo bit the inside of his cheek in thought. "Hmm. Has anyone checked the Mesa biomes?" Xisuma nodded. "The swamp or any forest biomes?" Another nod. "The End and the Nether?" Yet another nod. The engineer frowned.

Mumbo took a long minute to think. "Hm. What about... The world border?" He knew the suggestion was a stretch, since it was hundreds of thousands of blocks away and surely Grian didn't have that many rockets on him. He'd have to bring a shulker box full of rockets in order to fly the distance. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but it still would take a lot of rockets. On second thought, "No, that's a silly suggestion, isn't it? It would take forever to fly that far."

"Not if you're going fast enough. You could reach the world border in just over a day if you gain enough momentum, " Xisuma pointed out. "You would need a lot of rockets, though. Perhaps Grian had a shulker box or something in his pack full of rockets? It's not a crazy idea. Grian is known to be unorganized so he may have had one in there by coincidence." It sounded like Xisuma was rambling to himself, as his voice was lowered and he wasn't looking directly at Mumbo.

Mumbo still nodded along, seeing his point. Grian was disorganized, both with his storage and his pack, and it wouldn't be surprising if he had a random shulker box full of rockets or a few extra stacks on him.

"Oh, sorry for rambling," Xisuma stopped himself, apologizing as soon as he noticed what he was doing.

Mumbo gave a small shrug, lost in his own thoughts. If Grian was actually at the world border, that probably meant he only went that far because he didn't want to be found. After all, Mumbo had just now thought of the possibility of him being there, and they've been searching for nearly a month.

"He doesn't want to be found," the engineer muttered under his breath. It didn't go unheard, though, as Xisuma looked up at Mumbo with confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"He doesn't want to be found. Why else would he go so far away? Did I really hurt him that bad?" Mumbo said the last sentence to himself, even though it was out loud. His eyebrows furrowed and be looked down, looking conflicted and guilty.

Xisuma looked at his friend in pity, a frown tugging at his lips. "Mumbo, don't put yourself down. It probably wasn't you. As much as we love him, we all know he's an over thinker."

"I still should've said something. Anything! If I hadn't just stood there like an absolute spoon then he'd probably still be here right now!" Mumbo burst, bringing his hands up in frustration and turning away.

"Stop talking about him like he's dead," Xisuma said. There was a hint of frustration in his voice, a tone rarely heard from him. Sure, he got serious and firm, but never frustrated. This got Mumbo to slightly freeze up and turn to the other. He stared at Mumbo with an intense look before speaking again, "Look, I and everyone else on the server misses him as well and wants to find him. And just because you're the last person to see him before he ran away doesn't make it your fault," He said this so firmly that it left no room for objections. All Mumbo could do was nod and accept his statements.

"Now," Xisuma said in a calmer tone, losing the intense stare, "I think it's clear you aren't going to sleep. So... Why don't we go look for him? Together."

Mumbo lit up almost immediately, nodding without hesitation. Xisuma smiled, knowing that the offer would cheer him up. He had been gloomy ever since Grian disappeared, only getting worse every day. True, all of the Hermits were a bit gloomy and the server seemed less alive, but Mumbo was the one who was hit the worst by his disappearance. And now Xisuma knows why. He planned on keeping his secret on not telling anyone else why. He got why Mumbo wouldn't want him telling anyone. He had his suspicions, but he didn't know for a fact that Grian was attracted to men and no one else seemed to know. And if Grian wasn't out yet he wasn't about to out him without his permission. That's just messed up.

He was dragged from his thoughts from Mumbo, who was digging through his pack for rockets and mumbling thoughts to himself. He tapped Mumbo's shoulder, who then stopped mumbling and turned his attention towards him.

"Shall we go?" He asked.

Mumbo, without hesitation, and perhaps a bit too excitedly, answered, "Yes!"

Xisuma chuckled and took some rockets from his pack. "Lead the way. We'll start at the west border."

Mumbo nodded and jumped with a running start. He boosted himself up with a rocket, beginning to glide through the air once he gained some height. He heard a rocket go off behind him, so he knew Xisuma wasn't that far behind.

The flight to the west border didn't take that long. It was around noon the next day when they reached it. They spent all day searching. Every tree, every cave, every crevice. No rock was left unturned. And yet, they found no Grian. It was midnight now but not only Mumbo, but Xisuma, too, had become somewhat desperate. Of course, Mumbo was more determined to find him as soon as possible without taking any breaks or looking after his own well being, but it seemed that Xisuma had begun go run out of patience as well. Grian hadn't died, and if he did he'd just respawn, but that didn't mean they weren't worried about him. What if Grian hadn't been eating properly? What if he... What if he had been hurting himself? 

Mumbo didn't want to think about that possibility, even though Grian doing that was extremely out of character for him and the chance of him actually doing something like that was really low. But there was still a chance, no matter how small, and just because he didn't want to think about Grian doing harmful things to himself didn't mean he wasn't doing them. He shook his head, knowing it was just his mind thinking of the worst. Even thought Mumbo may not realize it, he over thinks things just as bad as Grian does, which is just another reason they're perfect for each other.

The group of two continued searching into the next day, eventually moving onto the south border. It wasn't until dusk that night that Xisuma pointed out a light source to Mumbo. The engineer's eyes widened and his mouth gaped.

"Do you think that could be him?" Mumbo didn't even attempt to hide the hopefulness and relief in his voice. The two Hermits landed on the medium-sized island Grian had possibly settled on. Almost half of it was cut off by the word border, but there was still room to build. Though, there wasn't anything above ground and there wasn't any indication of an underground spot.

The hope faltered a bit. Mumbo walked around, staring at the ground for any sign of life. A button, a lever, a footprint. Anything. The only thing that would tell you someone has been there was a torch. But maybe that was just a torch placed by a hermit months ago when they stumbled across the world border and just didn't remove it when they saw nothing of importance. He bit his lip, his hope quickly draining. He was dragged from his search by a click and Xisuma yelling a "Watch out!"

Mumbo turned his head to see what cause the click, but as soon as be saw the tripwire hook it was too late. He heard the sound of pistons before feeling the ground disappear from beneath him. He yelled in shock and fear as he fell.

He didn't fall too far, but the feeling of cold water soaking through his clothes and hitting his skin was enough for him to let out a loud shout. He splashed around in the shallow pool before managing to stand up. He was visibly panicked and when his brain finally processed what was happening he frantically looked around for a way out. When be noticed one he wasted no time in standing and exiting the tiny pool.

He sat on the floor, breathing heavily and trying to calm his nerves. It took him a couple minutes to become composed again and realize what had happened and remember why he was there. Mumbo stood up, finding it easier than one would have suspected to forget about the wet suit sticking to his skin. It wasn't Mumbo's top priority. No, Grian was.

He looked around the room he landed in. It was small and simple, made of different kinds of stone. It looked like some kind of bunker. Mumbo bit the inside of his cheek and walked around. There wasn't much to see. Not at first anyway. He placed his hand on the walls to feel around as he walked. If there was a hidden tripwire then who's to say there isn't more hidden entrances?

Suddenly, as if to confirm his suspicions, a tile in the wall pushed in. It was a hidden button. Clever, Mumbo thought. But it did make him question how and when Grian learned to do all this redstone. He knew the builder could do some really simple redstone, but hooking up a tripwire to a secret piston door? How did he know for sure this was even where Grian was? And if he wasn't them what hermit builds something like this so far away from everyone else?

Mumbo shook himself from his thoughts. Now wasn't the time to ask questions or doubt. He walked through the piston door the secret button had opened. He felt like calling out Grian's name, yet when he opened his mouth his throat got tight. Deciding not to call out, he walked through the underground area. The room he was in now was bigger than the last. It had some chests, a crafting table, some furnaces, and a door leading to somewhere else on the other side of the room.

Mumbo swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat. He felt anxious. He wasn't sure what he was going to find. Or maybe he wouldn't find anything. He didn't know. But he did know that there was a chance Grian was here. So, seeing that the room he was in currently was empty just like that last, he walked through the actual door. It wasn't hidden like the other two. Maybe Grian, hopefully Grian, anyway, didn't think anyone would find the first secret entrance let alone the second. He walked into the room with his eyes closed, just so that he had a few extra seconds to mentally prepare for anything he may be greeted with, good or bad. 

Mumbo opened his eyes slowly, eyes meeting the ground first. He was too nervous to look up, just in case there was bad news waiting for him. Glaring rather intensely at the ground, he sucked in a breath and looked up. What he was met with made his eyes fly wide open and his body tense up. Tears welled up in his eyes and quickly slipped down his cheeks. 

"Grian..." he choked out. The smile on his face was big and relieved. The man he had been searching for was just on the other side of the room, staring back at him. His expressions were unreadable, his eyes and face trying to show too many emotions at the same time, but that wasn't enough to make Mumbo even think that maybe he should leave. Nothing could make him leave without Grian. Nearly a month and finally he had found him, and he felt happier than ever.

The short blonde didn't say anything in return, just stared straight back into his eyes with so many conflicting emotions. The silence remained for a few moments before Grian let out a slow and shaky breath. Then, time seemed to move again and Mumbo had taken a very small step forward. Grian didn't move.

Mumbo didn't know if he didn't move because he was shocked to see him, didn't know he was going to move forward, or if he didn't care. Still, before Mumbo could have second thoughts and stop himself, he was running forwards until he had wrapped his arms around Grian's smaller figure. The hug was tight, but not so tight that Grian couldn't breathe. It was one of those hugs you gave to someone to let them know you're grateful they're there and they're safe. 

Mumbo didn't feel any arms wrap around him in a return hug after a few seconds had passed, so he was about to pull away in case he had made Grian uncomfortable, even if he didn't want to pull away. After all, though, he was the one who caused Grian to run off, even if the others say it wasn't his fault. He knew it was. However, his attempt to pull away along with any thought after was quickly abandoned as he felt a pair of arms hesitantly snake around his body. Mumbo couldn't help but hug a bit tighter, though he was still being careful to let Grian breathe. He heard a muffled sniffle below him and he looked down. Grian had buried his face into his damp suit. He realized that they were both crying. But that was alright. Crying was good.

They stayed like that for what felt like forever. They didn't speak. All they did was just held each other and cried. After a while, though, they ended up pulling away. It was a bit awkward, especially since Mumbo's damp suit had stuck to Grian's skin and gotten his clothes wet. Neither payed any mind to the obvious wet spots on Grian's clothes, however. The only thing they were paying attention to was each other.

"Why are you here?" Grian was the first to speak, his question coming out with a weak and broken voice since he had just stopped sobbing. 

Mumbo was a but taken aback by the question. "To find you, of course," he responded, a bit dumbfounded.

"But... But _why_? Why didn't you say anything?" Grian asked, sounding heartbroken and avoiding eye contact. Mumbo made a small "o" shape with his mouth. 

"I'm here because I care, Gri," Mumbo answered truthfully, though the way Grian tensed up when the nickname was used unnerved him. "And I... I didn't say anything because I- I guess I didn't know what to say."

Grian looked up at him, looking like a sad and lost puppy. The look pulled at Mumbo's heartstrings. "Grian, I've... We've been searching for you every second if every day trying to find you. Why did you run?"

Grian looked away again, and Mumbo frowned. "I... I didn't want my heart to be broken," he admitted.

"What do you mean? How do you know your heart would've ended up broken? If anything I'm the one with a broken heart! The person I care about most ran off and disappeared for almost a month and I was the reason for it! How do you think I feel? I have barely ate and I haven't slept at all! Every second I was looking for you because I wanted you back. You and I both know that reason is bullshit and I want the real reason," Mumbo snapped. He didn't mean to snap like that, and he took a few steps back from Grian when he realized he had. Both of there eyes were wide in shock and they stared at each other for a couple of long moments.

Then Grian began to tear up and cry again. 

Mumbo felt an intense pang of guilt in his heart. He had just made Grian, his best friend and the love of his life, cry. He went to reach out to Grian but was stopped by the short Hermit launching himself forward to hug Mumbo once again.

"I- Grian-"

"No, Mumbo you're right! That's a horrible, horrible reason but it's honestly the reason I ran off and I'm sorry, God, Mumbo, I'm so sorry I'm selfish and rude and inconsiderate of your feelings and I'm sorry, I'm a horrible friend-" Grian ranted in between sobs and sniffles. Mumbo cut him off by hugging Grian closer, wrapping one arm around his waist and entangling his hand on the other arm in the blonde's hair. He whispered sweet nothings to him in order to calm him down, and once he knew he was successful, he pulled away just enough so that they could look at each other.

"You're not selfish," Mumbo said gently.

"But I a-"

"Stop it, Gri. You're not selfish. You have a right to feelings. But you shouldn't have run off like that. You have no idea how worried I was," Mumbo interrupted, his tone a bit more stern this time.

Grian nodded gently. They locked eyes and stared at each other. It was one of those stares that held something behind it. Something meaningful. Slowly, without really meaning to, both Hermits began go lean in. They only stopped moving when their eyes were half closed and their lips were ghosting above one another's.

"Can I kiss you?" Grian asked under his breath, knowing Mumbo could hear him.

"Please," came the response.

The gap was closed and they shared their first kiss. Mumbo almost couldn't believe it, either. He felt happy. Really happy. He had finally found his best friend and now he was able to hold him again. And now he was kissing him! It felt like heaven on earth, and Mumbo would be lying if he said he wasn't already addicted to the feeling.

He didn't want it to end, and neither did Grian. So when they pulled away for air they wasted no time pressing their lips together again and again and again. Soon gentle pecks turned into a full on make out session. Mumbo was holding Grian firmly by the waist while the latter held onto neck and hair of engineer. The air was quickly becoming heated and they had even begun to tug at each other's clothes, the need to get them off increasing by the second.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, that's for you to decide), there was a loud clearing of the throat and both Hermits snapped their eyes open, pulled away, and looked towards the direction the sound had came with beet red faces.

"Right, maybe you two can put that on hold for later?" Xisuma laughed awkwardly. He was standing in the open doorway, avoiding eye contact with the other two men in the room.

"X!" Grian shouted, separating himself from Mumbo a but too quickly, causing them both to nearly tumble to the ground. Soon, though, they were at least four feet apart. " It- I- Uh- We- Uhm... It isn't what it looks like! We weren't-"

"It's alright, Grian. I know how you feel towards Mumbo. There's no need to worry," Xisuma interrupted, walking up to Grian and placing a hand on his shoulder. The blonde jumped, letting out a startled yelp.

As soon as he seemed to register Xisuma's words, though, his head snapped upwards, staring at the other in horror. "You know!? How!? The other Hermits don't know, do they!?" He shouted in a panic.

Xisuma shook his head gently. "Calm down, Grian. No one else knows besides me and Mumbo. As for how I know, I'm good at reading people. I suppose I just knew. But you can trust me and the other Hermits. We won't hate you just because of who you find attractive. And we won't hate you for not letting anyone know, either." 

Grian seemed to visibly relax, though the embarrassment from earlier was still very visible on both him and Mumbo, who stood there silently. 

"So, shall we get going? I'm sure everyone would really enjoy you back, and you don't have to worry about too many questions about why you left. If you don't want to tell just say you don't want to and they won't ask again. In the end all we care about is your safety," Xisuma asked, adding a reassurance with a kind smile.

Grian didn't respond for a few seconds, looking as if he was in thought. Then, he nodded and smiled.

"Yeah. In truth, I do miss everyone. I'm sorry for leaving. It was selfish of me-"

"No, not selfish. Feelings are a sensitive thing. They sometimes cause us to overreact or think the worst. There's nothing wrong with that. All it means is that you're human," Xisuma corrected.

Grian didn't object. Instead, he smiled, grabbed Mumbo's hand, and nodded. "Yeah, let's head back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! <3


End file.
